How the Election Commission is planning to make sure honest elections in West Bengal

Ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls within the State of West Bengal, the Election Commission (EC) has intensified its efforts to make sure a free and honest election. The state has witnessed rampant political violence up to now. Even within the 2018 Panchayat polls, a number of situations of poll field looting, assaults and homicide had been reported. Hence, plenty of steps have been taken to make sure free and honest elections.
One lakh paramilitary forces to be deployed
The nodal election physique has taken a number of steps to discourage situations of violence and vote tampering. As per reviews, a whopping 1 lac Central para-military forces will likely be deployed in West Bengal for the upcoming polls. It is anticipated that about 1000 firms of CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) will likely be despatched to West Bengal, in mild of the political violence within the State. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, about 750 firms of Central forces with over 75,000 -80,000 personnel had been deployed in West Bengal.
An Election Commission official knowledgeable, “More than 750 companies of Central forces were deployed during the last Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal. Since the upcoming polls are only in five states, unlike the countrywide parliamentary pot, the availability of forces is bound to be more.” However, the choice relating to troop deployment will likely be finalized following discussions with the Union Home Ministry. In the 2016 State Assembly elections, a complete of 726 firms of CRPs had been deployed within the State.
EC to nominate particular police observer in West Bengal
Opposition events in West Bengal have raised issues in regards to the ‘neutrality’ of the State police, usually accused of working as ‘party cadres’ of the ruling Trinamool Congress. The state authorities has nonetheless assured the Election Commission of upholding the legislation and order scenario in West Bengal. Reportedly, the nodal election physique will monitor the polls by deploying a particular police observer, because it did in 2019 General Elections. At the identical time, the variety of polling stations can even be elevated in mild of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The randomisation of Police posting in elections
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had earlier stated that the election physique has zero-tolerance for cash energy, muscle energy and misuse of the federal government equipment. As noticed over the past yr’s Bihar polls, police personnel won’t be deployed within the space the place they serve or are registered as voters. Experts are of the view that the Election Commission desires to disrupt the underlying connections between the police and the native leaders of the incumbent political dispensation.

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/ABP Ananda)Election Commission proclaims launch of E-voter playing cards
Ahead of the West Bengal polls, the EC will launch the Electors Photo Identity Cards (e-EPICs) right this moment. “Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will launch the e-EPIC programme and distribute e-EPICs and Elector Photo Identity Cards to five new voters,” the nodal election physique stated. Voters can obtain their e-EPICs by means of nvsp.in, voterportal.eci.gov.in, and the Voter Helpline app.

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/ABP Ananda)BJP writes to EC over electoral roll anomalies, Burq-clad voters
In a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the State unit of the BJP has expressed issues over id verification and vote fraud by ‘Burkha-clad voters’ forward of upcoming elections in West Bengal. “From the draft electoral list that was made public on 18 November, it was noticed that there has been a sharp rise in the numbers of electors, especially in many parts that are very close to the Bangladesh border and those that are predominantly minority voters,” the letter emphasised.
The BJP identified that there was a ten% rise within the variety of voters within the ward No. 66 of the Kasba Vidhan Sabha constituency, regardless of no ‘new township or settlement’. The get together alleged {that a} comparable enhance in electorates has been noticed in Metiabruz constituency and Sonarpur Uttar in South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. “Also, we find that dead voters and those who have changed their dwelling place are not struck out from the voter’s list. In the past elections, it has been seen these votes have also been cast,” the letter added.